Delivered by Mrs. Ameirah AlHefeiti, Deputy Permanent Representative

Please Check Against Delivery.

Thank you, Mr. President,

I also thank the briefers for their valuable input and the detailed information they provided, including on the priorities of the United Nations police in the context of peace operations, as well as the efforts being made in this respect.

We also take this opportunity to pay tribute to Mr. Luis Carillho for his leadership at the helm of the Police Division, and the UAE stands ready to cooperate closely with his successor and his team.

I would like to highlight two priorities that remain key for the UAE in supporting the implementation of the A4P+ agenda.

First, the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. In that context, we appreciate the efforts of police-contributing countries and the United Nations Police Division in nominating female officers in order to achieve the objectives set by the Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. We know from experience the value that participation of female police officers in peace operations, ranging from increasing community engagement to improving situation awareness and developing early warning systems. Increasing their participation, however, will depend also on the UN’s ability to ensure appropriate living conditions and specific infrastructure, which we hope will be prioritized. More broadly, efforts must continue to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes.

In this context, we look forward to hearing the briefers’ views on how technology can be further utilized to make peacekeeping operations more efficient and effective.

Second, the importance of boosting the use of technology and innovation in peace operations. New tools can have a positive impact in enhancing the safety and security of uniformed personnel and contribute to protecting local communities, through the use of use of monitoring and surveillance technology to improve situation awareness. Technology also plays a key role when it comes to performance, strategic communications and other critical aspects.

As a concrete example, the UAE, in cooperation with the International Security Alliance, organized the first virtual reality-based live exercise to solve a simulated terrorist attack. This innovation was showcased in a side event on the margins of the latest UNCOPS in New York.

Mr. President,

Following Commissioners Christine Fossen and Mody Berethe’s interventions, I would like to welcome the positive impacts of the Integrated Peacekeeping Performance and Accountability Framework (IPPAF) and the Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS), and we are hopeful that such initiatives will contribute to improving the work of police components of peace operations.

Additionally, peace operations are not created to be permanent fixtures. While police components play a key role in developing the capacity of local police, only national ownership can guarantee the sustainability of gains made throughout the period of operation of peace missions in their host countries, and capacity development must be at the core of the work that peace operations do with host state counterparts.

Mr. President,

Before concluding, I must seize this opportunity to reiterate our gratitude to UNMISS Police Commissioner Fossen for the warm welcome during the recent Special Policing Advisory Group visit to South Sudan, in which the UAE participated. We commend UNMISS’s engagement in support of South Sudan, particularly regarding the protection of civilians, for its support to correctional facilities and in the area of capacity building.

And in its keenness to actively contribute to international efforts to enhance security and stability across the world, the UAE hosted the latest annual conference of the heads of police components of UN peace operations in Abu Dhabi last August, which was the very first time, this conference was organized outside of the UN Headquarters in New York. Additionally, the UAE will sponsor the next UNCOPS, which will be held in New York in 2024.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, the UAE reiterates its full support for the reinforcement of the UN police capabilities, and we stress the need to ensure appropriate support in order to ensure that this important component of peacekeeping can fully fulfill its mandate.

Thank you.